The Final Stand Down
by RoseSiege
Summary: This that missing scene in the basement in the episode 'Chosen'. This is how it played out in my mind.


This to me is that missing scene with Buffy and Spike in "Chosen." I've just recently watched this episode and it's great, love it to bits. But Damn Joss for leaving this scene out! Okay, hope you like.

DISCLAIMER: I Don't own these characters, or anything Buffy related.

**Chosen **

"The Final Stand Down"

Buffy takes a deep breath as she stands outside the basement door, unable to sleep._ Come on, just go down and talk to him. It could be the last time you ever do._ Buffy takes another breath and holds it as she opens the door, and makes her way down the stairs.

Spike fiddles with his hands on his cot, unable to sleep trying to decide weather he should go see her or just wait._ What am I thinking, she'll never come down._ He shakes his head and gets up to start to head up the stairs, when he hears the door open. Instantly Buffy's light perfume mixed with her scent attacks Spike, driving him mad. It's the same one she was wearing on their first night together. He smiles inwardly as he watches Buffy slowly make her way down the stairs. _She came._

Spike is standing at one end of the room, where as Buffy is on the other. They just look at each other. Wishing the other would start the conversation, knowing full well that this could be their last night, their last conversation, their last fight. Buffy speaks first.

"Hi." She offhandedly says to Spike.

"Hey." Spike replies, leaning against the wall. Buffy walks over to the punching bag and starts to spin it, not looking at Spike.

"The girls are all ready." She looks up at him. "Do you think this crazy plan of mine could really work?" She asks Spike. "Or am I just going off the deep end here." She stops spinning the Punching bag and begins to pace. " I mean, I'm not only putting the Potentials life in danger, but also Willow's, and now that Dawn is here I can't concentrate and I can't help thinking about Xander from how well my plans went last time and I know that we might not survive and I-" She stops pacing as Spike is suddenly in front of her.

He puts his hand lightly on her shoulder. "Buffy, after all that is happened, do you really worry so much about this?" He takes a hold of her hand with his and strokes it with his thumb. "Yes, it's a brilliant plan, the Potentials are ready, Willow can handle it, Dawn wants to be here to help, what happened to Xander isn't your fault, and of course we will survive. We always do." He pulls Buffy's chin up so she's facing him. "Do you hear me?" He adds a smile for good measure. Buffy pulls herself away from Spike and walks a little away, her back facing him.

"I'm scared." She says quietly as she closes herself up in her arms. "God Spike, I'm terrified." She turns towards him. "And not just for them. I'm more than terrified when it comes to you." She looks down at the floor. "All this time Spike, I've been confused. I don't know what to do when it comes to us. I've been So glad that your back, but also unsure what to do with you. With us. I've been thinking a lot and I just can't help but feel like I owe you. I-"

"No." He says darkly. Buffy looks up confused. "You don't owe me anything. Are you that daft to even think so? Look at me Buffy. Remember what I did, or at least tried to do. I'm not Human, I'm nothing like a man, and I can't bare being the monster I once was. I'm so grateful to of had you with me at least. It was all I ever wanted even if it was not real, for you." He walks up to Buffy again who is in shock from Spike's little speech. He takes her hands and kisses them. He looks down at her. "You were my world Buffy, and you are now more then ever." He slowly lets go of her hands. "But I know that there still is nothing there for me, if not only friendship, which I will treasure." He adds matter of fact. He walks to his cot and picks up the amulet. "When you gave me this, it meant so much to me. You think I can be better, that I'm a champion, but I feel like I don't deserve it." He begins to give it back to Buffy, but she stops Spike, and pushes his hand back towards him.

"and I still do. I know you're a champion Spike, because you've been there for me a number of times, and you've protected Dawn, which is everything to me. Dawn is my sister, no matter how unreal or annoying she is, and you helped guard her. You say your not Human, but that took a lot of heart." She smiles a little. " And one hell of a beating."

Spike smiles inwardly. " Hey, not fair. I was chained to the bloody ceiling. You think that Glory would've given you a chance at least, being all Godly." Suddenly Buffy begins to giggle a little, and she tries to stifle it, but can't. Then the giggle turns into a full out laugh. "What?" Spike asks with a smile, then he begins to giggle as Buffy shrugs and says " I don't know!" and breaks into more laughter. Then Spike is laughing. And They laugh together at every little thing they found funny about the past 7 years.

Buffy gains a little control over her self. "Do-do you remember when you took over the school on parent teacher night?" She says in between giggles.

Spike just Smiles even more. " I had that little idea in my head that I was going to kill you." and a fresh batch of laughs erupts. They slowly begin to die down a little when Spike asks impishly, "How about the time when you were invisible?"

Buffy looks at him open mouthed and giggling, "That was probably the only cool thing those geeks came up with, to go with their 'Diabolical' plans to see naked women." and another batch of laughter rolls out, when they thought about all of their other inventions and mishaps. "and what about Harmony? Need I say more?"

Spike just shakes his head as laughing. " Try living with all those unicorns." He smiles at his next one. " What about when I captured Willow and Xander, and was going to get Willow to do a love spell on Dru?"

Buffy just nods her head. "They were in the factory the whole time, and you just kept leading us on." Buffy says, remembering that 'us' was Angel and her. But right now she didn't care. This, being like this with Spike, was nice. "Oh! What about when my mom found out I was a vampire slayer? She kept asking you questions and we had to team up on Angel then too." She says smiling, not really laughing, just giggling.

"Oh right! And after she was still all motherly, saying 'Don't get killed honey.'" Spike just stops laughing all together and sighs. "Yup, she was a great woman." He looks at Buffy who has stopped laughing too. He rubs his cheeks. " I haven't laughed like that in years. Over a hundred to be exact." Buffy just rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, my stomach is gonna hurt for days." She replies. She sighs and looks over at Spike. "Hey Spike?" she asks.

He looks over at her. "What is it love?" He stands up straight. Buffy just walks over to him and puts her arms around him. He is shocked, least excepting her to do this. Slowly he puts his arms around her in return.

"Just hold me." She whispers into his chest. He can feel the tears on her cheeks, and can hear her quiet sniffling. "Please just hold me." She asks him again. Spike rests his cheek on her head.

"Anything for you pet." He says as he tightens his hold on her, stroking her hair. And she cries. She cries for her mom. For Angel, Willow, Dawn, Xander, Tara. Even for Oz and Cordelia. But especially for Spike, who is her comfort zone. Then she hears something. Something other than her small sniffles. She looks up.

Spike laughs a little, and brings his hand up to wipe away his own tears, but Buffy stops him. She pushes his hand down and looks up in to his face. She smiles despite herself and brings her hand to his cheek. "Who knew that someone who's not a man or a monster, could cry." She says to him looking into his eyes. He smiles a little and closes his eyes as he leans his head slightly into Buffy's hand. He opens his eyes and looks back down at Buffy.

"Who knew a superhero that has friends and people who admire her, could cry." Spike responds. Buffy laughs a little. She stares at him for a minute.

"I'm going to miss this Spike. If we are going to survive, I don't think I could live without it." Spike pushes hair around Buffy's ear as he drinks in Buffy's face, it could be the last time he sees it.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asks finally. A tear rolls down Buffy's cheek.

"No." She responds. "Not at all." She smiles to herself. She then goes on her tippy toes, and gives Spike a small kiss on the lips. She leans back and looks at his stunned face. "This could be the beginning of something Spike. Thank you. Thank you for everything. I guess a Vampire can teach a Slayer to be herself." She says as she backs away from Spike towards the stairs.

Spike watches her go like he always have. And just as she starts to go up he calls out to her. " I guess a Slayer can teach a Vampire to love." Buffy pauses. "Maybe, a Vampire, can get loved in return someday." She looks back over towards Spike. He waits for her to say, 'There will never be anything more Spike.' But she doesn't. She smiles at him and turns to face him. She slowly nods her head.

"Maybe." Then she turns her body away from him, and walks back up the stairs, leaving a stunned Spike behind. He smiles again to himself and looks up at the door Buffy walked out of.

"Maybe. Well maybe's good." and he flops back down onto his cot, easily falling asleep.


End file.
